Vie

Translation: life

Today started at 5:3o this morning when my cabin-mate Sarah woke me up. I had volunteered her to help our friend, Bill, make pancakes for the crew, so I felt like I should join in for fun. The two hours went by fast flipping pancakes and taking them downstairs from the galley to the dining room. Its a fun way to serve the crew- I even learned how to make smiling pancakes to brighten people's day! Morning report in the OR starts about 8am- by this time, I was wide awake and ready to go! This week I have been working with nurses, Ase and Margreta from Sweden. I have some swedish blood so I learned "Tack sa mycket" which means "Thank you very much." I love the international community! I have been working in VVF surgery for a couple weeks now (vesico-vaginal fistula). I will have to blog more about this surgery another time, but what a honor it is to assist in something so life changing for these women. I waited on the pre-op bench for my first patient to arrive- and what a smile she on her face when I greeted her! Even with no teeth, her whole face was smiling and her hands waving in the air! No translation needed- I knew how thankful and happy she was to be on the ship. We prayed with a translator for healing and I brought her to the OR. She smiled even through the spinal anesthetic and even moving her to the stretcher at the end- I could still see the joy in her face! Second VVF case I scrubbed to assist the surgeons and it went couple hours over lunch. It was so close to dinner, I grabbed a frappuccino and some trail mix for a snack. I had a nice break in the library reading a magazine. I returned back to the OR for the third VVF surgery to circulate until dinner.  I can spend hours at dinner, not eating, but just endless conversations with friends. Afterwards, I had an interview for an OR magazine so it was neat to share my stories from the past 5 months. By my 15th hour I was still going and needed to use up some energy and went for a walk with my friend, Karen, on the dock- good talks while dodging the motorbikes passing us. Now, I find myself in the dining room again with friends catching up on emails drinking hot tea (and milk)- its European style, but so good! A couple hours has passed and not much accomplished on my computer, but I thank God for the time I had talking with friends like Emily, Jane, Margreet, and Tim about life. Today was good, life is good. 

"... I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10